Ferrari 250 GTO Becomes World's Most Expensive Car at Public Auction

RM Sotheby's has announced the completion of the auction for the rare 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO 330 LM. The final price of the car was a record $51,705,000, including all commissions. This made it the most expensive car in the history of public auctions.

This example was created specifically for endurance racing. It debuted at the 1000 kilometers of the Nurburgring in 1962 and took first place in its class. That same year, it took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but failed to finish due to engine overheating. After the season, the car was purchased by a private owner and has since changed hands and taken part in various competitions many times.

The car is built on a unique chassis with the index 3765. Its chassis was completely modified, its appearance was slightly redesigned, and the standard 3.0-liter unit was replaced with a 4.0-liter V12 with a capacity of 400 hp and 326 Nm of torque. However, one of the subsequent owners decided to return the car to its original 3.0-liter unit.